Paterson Public Schools acting superintendent Eileen Shafer has appealed a decision by the state's governing body for high school sports that bans Paterson Eastside's boys and girls basketball teams from the 2017-18 state tournaments.

Paterson's move comes after the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association levied unprecedented sanctions against the Eastside programs in June. The decision followed the revelation the school's boys and girls teams were using an international pipeline to feed players into their programs the past six years.

The NJSIAA's Controversies Committee ruled that Eastside violated several recruiting and eligibility rules and failed to file proper paperwork for several overseas players who filtered into the school. The punishment included a two-year state tournament ban for both teams and $1,500 in fines for boys coach Juan Griles and girls coach Ray Lyde Jr., among other penalties.

"She did this because the students were already unable to play in the past year's tournaments and she believes that the students should not be penalized," Corallo added.

The appeal will be heard Sept. 13 during the NJSIAA's Executive Committee meeting in Robbinsville, NJSIAA spokesman Mike Cherenson said.

The NJSIAA punishment came after a series of NJ Advance Media reports that uncovered several boys and girls players from Africa, South America and Puerto Rico living with district coaches and claiming them as their legal guardians on school documents. The recruitment and housing of the players led immigration experts to describe it as human trafficking.

The Paterson district appointed former New Jersey Supreme Court justice John Wallace to investigate the situation, and he produced a controversial report that led to discipline for five district employees.

Meanwhile, the state Attorney General's Office, New Jersey Immigration and Customs Enforcement and child protective services have opened investigations into the situation at Eastside.